Happy Saturday Penguins fans and welcome to the latest edition of Big Daves Pens Pregame. Tonight, the Penguins begin their season opening home stand when they welcome in Ryan Getzlaf and the Anaheim Ducks.
Puck drops on the Pens/Ducks at 7:00pm, but my Pregame is live now....
Tonight's "Big Dave's Gameday Jam" comes from some legendary California punk-rockers. I seriously cannot fully trust someone who does not like Blink-182, and their new album with former Alkaline Trio front man Matt Skiba is out of this world. This is my favorite song off this new album, "Kings of the Weekend." Enjoy!
The State of the Penguins
Persistence. That is the best way to describe the Penguins play on Opening Night. The Pens were persistent; they never gave up, and they never game in. They constantly found a way to have success and it ultimately led to their first win in their title defense campaign.
There was a lot of good to take away from Thursday’s season opening victory.
First was the play of Evgeni Malkin. The big Russian was a man on a mission Thursday night; something we really haven’t seen from him in a long time. He was skating well, he was dangling the Caps defense and most importantly, he was looking to score. The elbow certainly seemed healed last night, because we saw vintage Evgeni Malkin last night, and it is a major reason why the Penguins emerged with a win.
Next, you had the play of some of the role guys. I thought Eric Fehr played his best game as a Penguin last night. He was really skating well, and more importantly, he was creating a lot of offensive chances not only for his line, but for himself. Fehr looked like the guy who victimized us time-after-time as a member of the Capitals, and last night he imposed his will on his old team. I am very encouraged by his play and think it could mean a big year for the versatile forward.
Then you had the play of Tom Sestito. Look, you know what you are getting with a big-bodied bruiser like Sestito. He is there to hit, fight, and stir things up. That is exactly what he did last night. He stepped in and fought Tom Wilson after the Kuhnhackl hit on Holtby. He was out there skating with the Penguins big guns after liberties were taken against them, and his presence certainly deterred the Capitals as the game went on. Finally, he was good in the offensive zone! He created several chances with slick passes, one that resulted in an Eric Fehr shot of the pipe. He also had a Grade A opportunity on a rebound, but shot it right at Holtby’s pad. He won’t stick here long, nor will he stay in the lineup once guys like Rust and Crosby are ready, but he was the perfect medicine for the opener.
Finally, you have the play of Marc-Andre Fleury. Penguins nation became so enamored with Matt Murray last spring that I think many forgot just how good the Flower is. Fleury reminded us all last night and then some. He made over forty saves on the night, some crucial ones coming down the stretch. I still believe Marc-Andre Fleury is the better goaltender, and that he should get the bulk of starts. With Murray still sidelined with the broken thumb, Fleury is getting his chance. A hot start will really force Mike Sullivan’s hand, and I think it will be tough to take him out of the net if he is streaking. And believe you me, I think Fleury is going to shine bright the next couple weeks.
The Penguins played well in their opener. It is always nice to start the year with a win. Now, it is fully back to business. The White House is visited, the rings distributed, the banner raised. Now it is time to fully get back in the swing of the season and put the pedal down. They’ll get the Ducks tonight, which won’t be a pushover despite the Ducks being seemingly “down” this year.
Deja Vu: The Anaheim Ducks
After once again winning the Pacific Division in 2015-16, and being a favorite in the West entering the playoffs, the Ducks got blown out of the air in the first round. The Ducks dropped yet another Game 7 under Bruce Boudreau, eliminating them from another playoff short of their ultimate goal. This time, GM Bob Murray was forced to make some moves to hopefully shake things up for the positive.
Bruce Boudreau is gone. Our round buddy got the axe after yet another Game 7 loss. He now roams the Minnesota Wild bench as their head coach. Personnel also changed on the ice for the Ducks. Gone are veteran forwards David Perron, Chris Stewart, and Jamie McGinn. All were allowed to walk via free agency. Goalie Frederik Andersen was traded to Toronto prior to the NHL Draft and several other pieces left as well.
So what comes back and who fills the holes?
Randy Carlyle finds himself behind the Anaheim bench once again. The former Penguin defenseman led Anaheim to a Stanley Cup win in 2007, and GM Bob Murray is hoping he can repeat that same thing again with several hold overs from that team. Two of those hold overs are Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Both started slow last year before finding their stride, and both return from Toronto off winning the World Cup with Team Canada. Veteran Ryan Kesler returns to center the second line, while young defensemen Hampus Lindholm, Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen will be the foundation of the blue line. In net, Whitehall native John Gibson is the undisputed number one netminder for the Ducks. Gibson was stellar down the stretch last year and many expect him to be the same this year.
Anaheim has good pieces in place, but they don't strike me as deep enough to make a legitimate run at the Cup. The Ducks need guys like Nick Ritchie, Andrew Cogliano, Jakob Silfverberg and Rickard Rackell to have much more productive years to add depth to the scoring. The young defensive corps is talented, but they need to prove they can insulate the young goalie Gibson a little better than they have in the past.
As I said, Anaheim is good, but they have just too many variables for me to consider them a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. The West is so balanced this year, that I don't think a mediocre season will let them waltz into the playoffs. And I don't think even at their best they have enough to get past teams like Nashville, Dallas and division rival San Jose.
What to Know About Anaheim:
- 46-25-11 (103pts) record in the 2015-16 season.
- The Ducks won the Pacific Division and had the fourth best record in the West.
- Anaheim was 21-15-3 on the road last year.
- The Ducks were 2-4-1 in the preseason, and dropped their season opener to Dallas Thursday night.
2015-16 Scoring Leaders:
- C Ryan Getzlaf - 63pts
- RW Corey Perry - 62pts
- C Ryan Kesler - 53pts
- C Rickard Rakell - 43pts
- RW Jakob Silfverberg - 39pts
Offseason Acquisitions:
- LW Mason Raymond, signed UFA from Calgary
- RW Jared Boll, signed UFA from Columbus
- D Nate Guenin, signed UFA from Colorado
- G Jonathan Bernier, trade from Toronto
Offseason Subtractions:
- LW David Perron
- LW Jamie McGinn
- G Frederik Andersen
- LW Brandon Pirri
- C Mike Santorelli
- RW Chris Stewart
- C Shawn Horcoff
Injury Report:
- D Simon Despres (upper-body) is day-to-day. The former Penguin left Thursday's opener in the 2nd period with an upper-body injury.
- C Rickard Rakell (midsection) is day-to-day. Rakell signed a long-term extension after holding out as an RFA, so he missed Thursday opener. However, he is still recovering from an offseason appendectomy, so his status for today is still in question.
- D Hampus Lindholm (hold-out) is OUT tonight. Lindholm is currently an RFA holding out for a new contract.
Projected Lines:
- Nick Ritchie - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
- Andrew Cogliano - Ryan Kesler - Jakob Silfverberg
- Mason Raymond - Antoine Vermette - Nick Sorenson
- Ryan Garbutt - Chris Wagner - Jared Boll
Projected Pairs:
- Cam Fowler - Josh Manson
- Simon Despres - Sami Vatanen
- Jacob Larsson - Kevin Bieksa
John Gibson is expected to start in net for the Ducks.
News & Notes From Around the Penguins
- C Sidney Crosby (concussion) is day-to-day, but hasn't practiced with the team since Wednesday. He is most likely out tonight.
- RW Bryan Rust (undisclosed) has been ruled out tonight by HCMS, though he is close to returning.
- G Matt Murray (thumb) remains out.
Projected Lines & Pairs
- Carl Hagelin - Nick Bonino - Phil Kessel
- Chris Kunitz - Evgeni Malkin - Scott Wilson
- Conor Sheary - Matt Cullen - Patric Hornqvist
- Tom Sestito - Eric Fehr - Tom Kuhnhackl
Pairs:
- Brian Dumoulin - Kris Letang
- Olli Maatta - Trevor Daley
- Ian Cole - Justin Schultz
Marc-Andre Fleury will start in net for Pittsburgh.
My 3 Keys to the Game
2. Power Play: It is always good for morale when the power play is working well. The Penguins power play always seems to be an enigma; great talent, but mediocre results. The Pens scored on the man-advantage in the opener, and I'd like to see them keep that roll going tonight. For morale sake of course...
3. Don't Get Caught: The Daley-Maatta pair got caught flat-footed a couple times in the opener, and it resulted in Washington goals. Game one, no big deal. However, you don't want that to become a consistent event. I want to see Maatta especially get better positionally that way he doesn't get caught flat footed while guys are streaking down the slot.
My 3 Penguins to Watch
2. Eric Fehr: I believe he played his best game in a Penguin uniform on Thursday night. He was outstanding in his own end, as he usually is. However, he had some serious jump on the rush and he was taking some quality shots all night long. I have a feeling he is going to get off to a good start, and I am predicting a Fehr goal tonight.
3. Olli Maatta: I mentioned Olli above with getting caught flat footed. I still have a ton of faith in the young Fin, but I definitely want to see him clean up his play in his own zone. The key to that is better positioning from the outset, which will result in fewer times getting caught flat footed.
What to Know for Attending/Watching/Listening
- Doors open at 6:00pm for an 7:00pm puck drop.
- All fans in attendance will receive a Penguins Magnetic Calendar, courtesy of UPMC.
- Twenty seven alums from the first decade of Pittsburgh Penguins hockey will be on hand at PPG Paints Arena as the Penguins pay tribute to their "Early Years" before Saturday's game against Anaheim. The Penguins' first owner, Jack McGregor, and nine players from the original 1967-68 team, including captain Ab McDonald, are scheduled be here. Other members of the '67-68 team in attendance will be Paul Andrea, Les Binkley, Billy Dea, Al McNeil, Noel Price, Ken Schinkel, Art Stratton and Gene Ubriaco. Seventeen other alums from the Penguins' first decade (1967-77), including current GM Jim Rutherford, also will be on hand. The list includes Syl Apps, Dave Burrows, Mario Faubert, Ed Gilbert, Denis Herron, Pierre Larouche, Greg Malone, Al McDonough, Dennis Owchar, Bob Paradise, Greg Polis, Duane Rupp, Ron Schock, Ron Stackhouse, Bryan Watson and trainer Ken Carson.
- Stop by PensGear powered by Reebok inside the Trib Total Media Gate at PPG Paints Arena during Saturday's game to take home your piece of the Championship from the Official 2016 Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup Fan Program.
What to know for WATCHING the game:
- The game will be nationally televised on ROOT Sports.
- Coverage begins with Penguins Pregame at 6:30pm and Penguins Post Game following the action.
- Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey will have the call, with Dan Potash handling the interviews.
What to know for LISTENING to the game:
- Full coverage will be available on 105.9 the X, iHeartRadio and on the Penguins app.
- Penguins Pregame will precede the game coverage, starting at 6:00pm with Josh Getzoff.
- Hall of Famer Mike Lange and Phil Bourque will have the game coverage starting at 8:00pm.
- Penguins Hot Line follows the game action with Josh Getzoff.
Pens Points:
- Game Attendance - 50pts
- Concession Purchase - 10pts
- Merchandise Purchase - 10pts
- Radio Keyword - 5pts
- ROOT Pregame Keyword - 5pts
- ROOT Postgame Keyword - 5pts